St. Dunstan's Bell Ring for Workers

St. Dunstan's Bell Ring for Workers

Saint Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in South Tulsa commemorates victims of COVID-19 and celebratesthe heroism of healthcare and other essential workers with daily bell ringing.

[Tulsa, Oklahoma] – Saint Dunstan’s Episcopal Church will ring the bell at the church daily to commemoratevictims of COVID-19 and celebrate the heroism of healthcare and other essential workers. BeginningFriday, April 17, 2020, the bell will toll for 5 minutes from 7:00 PM – 7:05 PM. This daily practice willcontinue so long as COVID-19 continues to impact those in our community.

Terry Watts, a long-time church member and instructor at Street School, first thought of this after reading that“Harry” the oldest bell (1635) at Canterbury Cathedral, would sound for the same cause. “After reading this Ithought we are so close to Saint Francis Hospital we could do the same and possibly be heard during theshift change,” Watts said. The Reverend Mary Ann Hill summed up the general consensus of the congregation,“We are so grateful all of our healthcare workers and first responders. With our ties to Canterbury Cathedral,ringing Great Dunstan seemed like a simple way to share our appreciation and gratitude for all they do”.Canterbury Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Worldwide Anglican Communion of which Saint Dunstan’sis a part. The church’s namesake Saint Dunstan was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 960-988.

The bell at Saint Dunstan’s named, “Great Dunstan of Tulsa”, was cast by John Taylor & Co., inLoughborough, England, in 1991. This foundry is the world’s largest and dates from the 14th century; it hasproduced thousands of bells, but most notably “Great Paul” the largest British cast bell for Saint Paul’sCathedral London in 1881.

Saint Dunstan’s Episcopal Church is a thriving parish in the Diocese of Oklahoma serving southern Tulsa sincethe 1960s. Since that time the congregation has grown into a large worship family in a climate of creativity andopenness in which each person is urged to offer his or her abilities for the common good. The Reverend MaryAnn Hill has been the Rector at Saint Dunstan’s since 2008 after serving parishes in Illinois and Indiana.